In the production of ceramic articles such as plates by pressing, granular or powdered ceramic materials are introduced into a mould in predetermined quantities and subjected to pressure whereby to form a pressed ceramic article. The quantity of material supplied to the mould at each operation is carefully controlled and modern machines of this kind incorporate a plurality of moulds supplied with material in turn and operate at high production rates, typically in the region of six hundred plates per hour.
Where it is required to alter the size of plate being produced by the machine, the mould requires to be replaced by a mould of greater or lesser volume dependent on the new plate size and in addition it is necessary to modify the dispensing unit of the machine so as to deliver a different quantity or ceramic material to the mould. Hitherto this has been a relatively time consuming and complex operation resulting in many cases in a down time of around forty Five minutes and hence a loss or production of, typically, around flour hundred and fifty plates. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.